With jobs being harder and harder to come by these days, many older and younger students alike are considering going back to school, however, the money is just not there. Let’s face it if you are making $6.00 an hour at a fast food restaurant, or you are the sole bread winner of your family, coming up with tuition can be rather difficult.
Corporation Scholarships
However, do not despair there are ways to come up with the money. The first way is to look into the policy of the company that you work for. If you are lucky enough to work for a larger corporation you may find that they do pay for courses or provide scholarships for their employees. Usually though they will pay for the course after you successfully complete it and if you must pay for it on you own in the interim. However, that may not always be the case. You must check with the human resources office to see exactly what your company’s policy is for the employees taking courses and college degrees. You may have to take a degree or course in the field you work for, for example if you are in business, they may not approve a cosmetic course even if you plan to start your own business. They may prefer that you take something that will advance your career with them. After all it may be your time but it is their dime.
Loans and Bursaries
Your next plan of action would be to investigate the loans and bursaries provided by your province (Canada), state, or federal governments. You would have to pay back the loans, but not the bursaries. Once you start your program you can then find out what the scholarships are in the field you have decided to study in.
Guidance Departments (High School) and Financial Aid Departments (Colleges)
You can also go immediately to your high school guidance counselor if you are finishing high school or go to the financial aid department of the college or university you wish to attend and find out the ins and outs of how to apply for a scholarship. They will also provide documentation on when to enroll into the college or university courses. Normally these schools of higher education will wait for the money to come in from the financial aid resource you have found, (such as government) and then you pay the courses. However they will have deadlines and if you have not met the deadline you will have to wait until the next semester to apply.
Think outside the box, if you are studying history do not limit yourself to a history scholarship, many of which depend on a high GPA (grade point average). See what other scholarships are available which can meet your needs. For example, I was on government loans and bursaries, but I once got a scholarship that was reserved for a single parent. So do ask the financial aid adviser what possible scholarship you can apply for.
Library Research
You may also do your own research at the career and counseling center of your college or university or the public library for financial aid and scholarships.
Large Scholarships from Large Corporations Open To The Public At Large
There are large national scholarships available from various outside firms who support the community, for example there is Coca Cola, Gates Millennium, the ROTC – Reserve Officer Training Corp, National Merit and Robert Byrd.
Don’t ignore the food chains, drug stores, department stores or large supermarkets, if you are working for one of them; see if they provide a scholarship program for their employees.
You can do some research into your local community centers, religious affiliations, unions, military, fraternal organizations, professional associations, even your parent’s employer who may offer tuition or scholarships for children of their employees.
Some organizations offering Scholarships
The Kiwanis Club has offered hundreds of scholarships throughout the years.
The Nights of Columbus – offered endowed scholarships
http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/about/contact/scholarships.html
The Daughters of Isabella – the female counterpart of the Night of Columbus offers scholarships – check out your local chapter
The Chamber of Commerce offers scholarships
http://www.uschamber.com/institute/scholarships/default
The Rotary Club
http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/about/contact/scholarships.html
Independent Order of Foresters – Must be a member
http://www.foresters.com/membership/scholarships.asp
Free Masons – check for you local chapter
National Eagle Scout Association
http://post369.columbus.oh.us/scouting.d/fact.sheets.d/nesa.d/scholarships.html
You can use a free scholarship Search Service. These services are wonderful to match your needs and qualifications with the myriad of scholarships that are out there. Don’t give up and don’t think there is nothing available just because we are in a recession, check it out, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Here are few online places to give you a head start.
Scholarship Search
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
Fastweb
Sallie Mae
http://www.collegeanswer.com/paying/scholarship_search/pay_scholarship_search.jsp
State Scholarships
Just about every state has a scholarship program designed to give the students within the state a head start on a higher education and a head start on their successful futures. If you live in Florida, you may want to try:
Bright Futures
http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf/
For other states or provinces check out the government offices
College Web Sites
Check the college websites to see what is offered in your home province or state. There are different criteria for scholarship qualifications, don’t despair if your grades are not the best. There are scholarships based on financial need, merit, and field of study, ethnicity and more.
Watch out for Scams
Watch out for the scams, if you see a scholarship for a place you have never heard of, investigate the organization or company. There are scholarship scams out there so beware.
It may take you a little longer than you first expected if you miss the deadlines the first time around but you are in fact in a good position for the 2010 2011 scholarships. You might even be lucky and find a scholarship that will allow you to get in for the January semester. The thing is act now, don’t procrastinate your future awaits you.
